IST1010-1-FA15 - Read. Protestantism Relig. Bestseller

First Year Interdisciplinary Course:
Reading American Protestantism: Religious Bestsellers

Instructors:

Antony Alumkal, Associate Professor of Sociology of Religion, aalumkal@iliff.edu
Elizabeth Coody, Adjunct Faculty, ecoody@iliff.edu

Course Synopsis/ Description

Click below for a draft version of the syllabus:

Word .docx file: Alumkal&CoodyIST1010DraftV2.docx

PDF: Alumkal&CoodyIST1010DraftV2.pdf

Course Readings

Books to obtain:

Bolz-Weber, Nadia. 2013. Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint . New York: Jericho Books.

Borg, Marcus J. 2003 . The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith . San Francisco: HarperSanFranciso.

Jakes, T. D. 2012. Let It Go: Forgive So You Can Be Forgiven . New York: Atria Books.

McLaren, Brian D. 2010. A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions that Are Transforming the Faith . San Francisco: HarperOne.

Warren, Rick. 2002. The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Grand Rapids: Zondervan. (Please note: You may also chose the newer edition of Purpose Driven Life [2013], either is fine for this course. Be sure you get the book, though, and not a study guide, journal or other related materials. It's easy to pick the wrong one!)

Provided on Canvas:

Balmer, Randall. 1993. Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America . New York: Oxford University Press. Chapter 2. (PDF here on Canvas)

Griswold, Wendy. 2013. Cultures and Societies in a Changing World . Fourth Edition. Los Angeles: Sage. Chapter 4. (PDF here on Canvas)

Marti, Gerardo and Gladys Ganiel. 2014. The Deconstructed Church: Understanding Emerging Christianity . New York: Oxford University Press. Introduction. (PDF here on Canvas)

Tinker, Tink. 2013. “Why I Do not Believe in a Creator.” Pp. 167-179 in Buffalo Shout, Salmon Cry: Conversations on Creation, Land Justice, and Life Together , edited by Steve Heinrichs. Waterloo, Ontario: Herald Press. (PDF here on Canvas)

Wellman, James K. 2008. Evangelical vs. Liberal: The Clash of Christian Cultures in the Pacific Northwest . Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapters 1-2. (PDF on Canvas)

Course Overview/ Learning Goals 

The course introduces theories and methods in the study of religion and theology, and provides learning experiences able to support the following learning outcomes for students: Students identify and describe characteristic approaches to the academic study of religion related to at least four of the six curricular areas identified in the core curriculum.

1. Students demonstrate critical reading skills, such as the capacity to identify the thesis of a text, its methodology, the contextual situation of the author’s argument in a larger discourse, the contours of its argument, and the implications of its constructive work.
2. Students demonstrate the capacity to write a brief, thesis-driven paper drawing on textual resources with appropriate academic citation and a writing style appropriate to the genre.
3. Students are able to identify appropriate academic resources through library research in order to address a research question of significance to them.
4. Students engage in critical, respectful, and constructive academic dialogue and reflection in a diverse cultural setting (the classroom).
5. Student motivation, curiosity, and commitment to the engaged academic study of religion and theology increases.

Course Objectives/ Course Expectations

Students are expected to attend every class, except for cases of illness or family emergency. It is not possible to pass the class if you miss more than two classes. Assigned readings should be completed before class meetings.

Participation: 20%

Short Paper #1: 15%

Short Paper #2: 15%

Final Paper: 50%

Our working assumption is that students in a masters program can be expected to produce academic work that is above average (in comparison to undergraduates). Therefore, the modal grade we assign is B+. A paper will earn a B+ if it fulfills all of the requirements of the assignment. A paper will earn a grade higher than a B+ for exceptional quality. A paper will earn a grade of B or B- if there are minor to moderate shortcomings. Grades below B- are reserved for papers with major shortcomings.

This course may be taken pass/fail, but you must request this during the first two weeks by emailing the instructors. You do not need to provide a justification for you request.

Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (MDiv, MASC, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (MTS, MA).

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community.